Helping Annapolis Valley Big Brothers Big Sisters

Softball tournament supports matching kids with mentors

It was a fun outing for recreational softball players but also a way to support matching kids with mentors.

Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Annapolis Valley mentoring coordinator Jessica Atwell said they had eight teams involved in their second annual fundraising softball tournament, which was held at Kentville’s Memorial Park on Oct. 13 and 14.

Atwell works directly with the mentors and children involved in the program. She said it’s crucial for the organization to hold fundraisers so it can continue to match mentors with boys or girls, as each match costs about $1,200 a year to maintain. Atwell said all of the money they raise goes back into the community in the form of supporting matches.

She said mentoring has a “huge impact” on the lives of the boys and girls involved in Big Brothers Big Sisters. From what she has witnessed, the experience can be lifechanging.

“Kids who are involved in mentoring tend to do better in school,” Atwell said. “They’re more likely to go into post-secondary education and be in more meaningful relationships with others, too, so that tends to be a positive impact on their life.”

She said there are a lot of people in the Valley who enjoy playing softball. The tournament gives them a chance to get out and have some fun while supporting a good cause.

Atwell said the plan was to hold the tournament in a single day but with the threat of rain, they decided to use a single field and stretch out the play over two days.